Sarah Hughes, Birth of `17 Year-Old American Fairy`

`Nobody can be perfect all the time`.

The women’s singles Figure Skating free-skating event of the 19th Salt Lake Winter Olympics, which was held at Utah’s Salt Lake Ice Center on the 21st.

The world was paying attention to the day’s women’s singles Figure Skating finale, and a great sigh came from the audience as Michelle Kwan (U.S.A.), a 4-time international titles winner and a 6-time U.S. championship winner, tried the triple-spin jump. That was because Kwan lost balance and touched the ice with one hand on landing.

Kwan seemed quite anxious after the performance, and she dropped her face as technique and artistry scores came out disappointing.

Next was the last performer, Irina Slutskaya (23, Russia). Being the second place-winner in the short-program, she was at a great advantage since her rival Kwan made a mistake. However, Slutskaya also disappointed herself by losing balance and being unsteady on landing after a jump.

Two gold seekers made surprising mistakes in the free skating, which was completely unexpected. It was the 17 year-old rookie, Sarah Hughes (U.S.A.), who enjoyed the fortune of gold.

Hughes received the gold scores from 5 judges, while 4 judges chose Slutskaya for them. The two had the same sum of scores in short program and free skating, but it was Hughes’ victory, whose free skating scores were higher.

In the waiting room, she shouted aloud in deep emotions, and Kwan and Slutskaya shed tears of great sorrow.

Hughes began skating at the age of 3, and became an attention-holder after winning the U.S. National Juniors Championship in 1998 when she was 13. She just made the national team this year winning the third place at the U.S. Championship. Her record in the short program held the fourth position, but she performed the triple jump perfectly in the free skating. Besides, 1st, 2nd, 3rd skaters, Kwan, Slutskaya, and Sasha Cohen (U.S.A.), all made mistakes.

Kwan, who only won bronze, seems quite unfortunate, because in 1998 Nagano Olympics, it was Tara Lipinski from the same team who overran her to claim gold. Kwan also lost the gold medal to young Hughes in this Olympics.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com